Mecktie centralizing stitching machine



J. MEDYNSKI 2,958,301

NECKTIE CENTRALIZING STITCHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet '1 Nov. 1, 1960 Filed Feb. 12, 1958 z 2 I I a u I e 35 I 39 37 36 3% ii 34 40 32. 44 2 l o 32 83 A Q I" \I" INVENTOR. 20 L aw 54 JOSEPH MEDYNSKI ATTQQ/VEY Nov. 1, 1960 J. MEDYNSKI 2,958,301

NECKTIE CENTRALIZING STITCHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1958 6. Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOSEPH MEDYNSKI ATTO/P/VEY Nov. 1, 1960 J. MEDYNSKI NECKTIE CENTRALIZING STITCHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 12, 1958 INVENTOR. JOSEPH MEDYNSKI ATTORNEY NO 1, 9 0 J. MEDYNSKI 2,958,301

NECKTIE CENTRALIZING STITCHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. JOSEPH MEDYNSKI ATTORA/EY Nov. 1, 1960 .1. MEDYNSKI NECKTIE CENTRALIZING s'rrrcnmc; MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 12, 1958 INVENTOR. JOSEPH MEDYNSKI AYTJEAE'Y NEKTE CENTRALIZING STITCHING MACHINE Joseph Medynski, 18 Park Ave., Ramsey, NJ.

Filed Feb. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 714,923

1 Claim. (Cl. 112-199) This invention relates to the art of necktie sewing machines and particularly concerns an improved construction for sewing long loose stitches required for necktie linings.

It is essential in sewing a necktie lining that the stitches which attach the lining to the exterior body of the tie be as long and loose as possible so that the normal resiliency of the lining will not be impaired.

In prior sewing machines of this type elongated stitches are formed by pivotably mounted looping hooks located near the feed dog which carries the work advancing teeth. The parts which actuate the hooks and move the feed dog have been located and concentrated in a very limited space immediately adjacent to or within the space through which the stitching needles move. This has proven objectionable because the parts employed for producing long, loose stitches have had very limited movement. Also, the parts have of necessity been very small, and somewhat delicate, and cliificult to adjust. All this has made it necessary to operate the machines at rather low speeds to avoid breakage of parts and loss of fine adjustments. The maximum length of stitches produced by such machines has been of the order of one-half inch or less.

The present invention has overcome the disadvantages of the prior constructions by mounting the parts which actuate the looping hooks well below the feed dog in the lower part of the machine where more space is available for their operation. Larger moving parts have been provided for the linkage which actuates and mounts the looping parts. As a result, the machine is capable of faster operation. In addition, the parts are stronger and not so critical of adjustment as heretofore. Because all of the moving parts except the feed dog and looping hooks have been removed from the limited stitching area there is more room for travel of the feed dog and hooks so that much longer and looser stitches up to one inch in length are made.

According to the invention there is also provided a novel double eccentric sleeve structure for actuating the looping hooks and associated linkage. This double eccentric has parts which are relatively adjustable with respect to each other and with respect to the drive shaft of the machine so that the travel of the hooks may be regulated thereby in a simple and convenient manner. The invention further provides novel means for tensioning and releasing tension on the cloth being stitched.

A primary object of the invention is thus to provide an improved mechanism which will permit the feed dog and work advancing teeth of a sewing machine more traveling space than has hitherto been possible.

A further object is to provide a sewing machine structure in which the stitching location through which the needles travel is free of all actuating parts for the feed dog and loopers.

A further object is to provide a linkage and mechanism for driving looper hooks, including a double eccentric roller structure adapted to regulate the maximum excursions of the looper hooks.

A still further object is to provide a sewing machine structure in which a cloth tensioning mechanism is associated with a presser plate actuating mechanism so that operation of the latter mechanism automatically operates the former mechanism.

Still another object is to provide a machine for sewing a lining to a tie with novel means for stretching the material as it passes under the needles and with means for tensioning the stretching pressure.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine structure whereby the driving mechanism is positioned under the loopers and wherein the lining stretcher is so positioned that at all times the stretcher bar is parallel to the 'base of the stretcher allowing the stretching tension on the lining to be equal at all times from one end of the travel of the lining to the other end.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a sewing machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. '3 is a rear elevational view of the machine.

Figs. 4 and 5 are opposite end elevational views of the machine.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the machine showing schematically the essential parts of the cloth tensioning mechanism, with some of the parts shown in spaced relation.

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts of the actuating mechanism for the looper hooks.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the assembled actuating mechanism for the looper hooks.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on lines 9 -9 of Fig. 8 showing details of the eccentric sleeve assembly.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of a necktie lining stitched to a tie body.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Fig. 8, showing the hooks and needles in operative position, parts being omitted.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line l2-12 of Fig. 5, on an enlarged scale.

Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16 are perspective detail views showing the movements of the parts of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a sewing machine provided with a base plate 20 and integrally formed head 22. A plunger 25- is vertically reciprocally mounted in the head and carries support 28 for a pair of needles 24, 26 in parallel closely spaced relation, the needle 24 carrying the thread T up and down and the needle 26 only carrying the thread upwardly. The machine has a horizontally disposed work supporting plate 30 over which a presser plate 32 is supported on the bottom of a presser plate rod 34 slidably mounted in the head. Rod 34 is manually elevatable by a lever 35. Alternatively, the rod 34 is elevatable by a pivoted lever 36 operatively connected to the rod by a link plate 38. The lever 36 pivots intermediate its ends on pin .39. A chain 40 is secured to one end of the lever by a hook 42. This chain extends through a hole in plate 20 and extends below the plate 20. The chain terminates ata location where it can be conveniently pulled downwardly by the hand or foot of the operator of the machine. "The chain has a collar 44 secured to the chain at 13-D- interreference to Fig. 6. Ann 46 has a hole 48 at one end through which chain-40 passes. The-other end of arm 46 is bifurcatedand encircles a shaft 50 and is clamped thereon by a screw 69. Shaft 50 is pivotally journaled in a sleeve bearing block 52 secured to an edge of plate 20 by means of a flange 51 on the bearing and screws 53.

Shaft 50 is bent to form an elbow 54 having a slotted end in which is pivotally attached the bottom end of a vertically disposed link 55. The upper end of link 55 is pivotally secured to the enlarged bearing end 57 of a lever arm 56. Ann 56 pivots on a horizontally disposed stationary shaft 58. The other enlarged end 59 of arm '56 carries a smooth rod 60 disposed parallel to shaft 58 and located so that it can be raised from and lowered into an elongated groove 62 formed between vertically disposed, closely spaced guide plates 64 and 65, carried by a bracket 67 adjustable secured to the hide of base plate 20 by a screw 73, passing through an elongated slot 63 in the bracket.

The rod 60 is secured in end 59 of arm 56 by a screw 71. Plate 64 is attached to the base of guide plate 65 by screws 66. Both of the plates 64 and 65 are formed with substantially channel-shaped aligned recesses midway their ends constituting a trough 68, the edge of the recess of plate 65 being curved and rounded. This trough ensures that the cloth work C shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 will be centered for its entire travel, regardless of the witdh of the cloth. Work C may be the lining of a tie, superimposed on'the body of the tie to which the 1 lining is to be stitched. The cloth work will be resiliently pressed down by the rod 60 into the groove 62 between the plates 64 and 65 whereby the work will be in a stretched condition as it passes under the needles. The cloth work will also be held down against the work plate 39 by presser plate 32.

A pair of elongated superposed leaf springs 70 and 70 extend parallel to lever 56 and have one end secured by screws 67 to a block 72 integrally formed with plate 20. The other free end of the springs grip and yieldingly press rod 60. An adjusting screw 77 is threaded through a threaded opening in plate 30 and impinges against the topmost spring 70 whereby the pressure of the springs on the rod 60 may be adjusted.

A toothed feed dog 75 is carried by a reciprocating I bracket 76 slid'ably mounted on the head 22 and is positioned in the ordinary manner below and closely adjacent the presser plate 32 for feeding the work to the needles.

In operation, the toothed feed dog 75 will be reciprocated in the usual manner by bracket '76, best shown in Fig. 5, to engage the underside of the cloth just beneath the presser plate 32 and advance the cloth to the needles while it is in stretched condition by reason of the spring pressed rod 60. In order to release the pressure on the 'cloth at the presser plate 32 and at rod 60 simultaneously, the chain 40 may be pulled down manually by hand or by foot on 'a pedal by the operator. When the chain is pulled down, lever 36 is pivoted against tension in spring 45 to raise rod 34 and plate 32. Leaf spring 70* located at the underside of rod 60 assists in raising the rod 60. At the same time as the chain is pulled down, the spring 45 will be compressed between collar 44 and arm 46 while arm 46 will be pivoted downwardly to the top of plate 20 from which this arm is normally spaced.

The pivoting of arm 46 causes link 55 to be lowered by elbow 54 which raises rod 60 out of groove 62 and trough 68 against tension in spring 70. Upon release of chain 40, spring 70 restores rod 60 to its normal position in groove 62. Rod 34 is normally urged in a downward direction by. a coil spring 37 which is mounted on 39 --and engages the underside of head 22.

Normally the cloth lining will be fed under rod 60 and through slot 31 in plate 30 shown best in Fig. 2. The body of the necktie to which the cloth lining will be stitched will also be fed with the lining under the rod 60 but will be fed through the longer slot 33. The slots 31 and 33 accurately position the lining and necktie body respectively to each other before they pass under the needles and the pressure plate 32.

The mechanism which actuates the looping hooks will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9. The machine has a drive shaft 80 which is rotated by a gear train 81 operatively connected to pulley 82 over which passes an endless belt 83. The gear train is protected by the plate 21. Belt 83 is driven at high speed by a motor (not shown). Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the shaft 80 is shown secured by setscrews 84 to the flanged end 85 of an eccentric sleeve assembly. This assembly includes a sleeve 86 which is integrally formed with flange 85. The sleeve has a circularly cylindrical bore 88 which is axially disposed with respect to the axis of the sleeve but which is eccentrically disposed to the center of the circular flange 85.

Another cylindrical sleeve 90 is disposed in bore 88. This sleeve has a circularly cylindrical bore 91 which is eccentrically disposed with respect to the axis of sleeve 90. A tapered crank arm 92 is provided with an enlarged sleeve end 94 having a cylindrical bore 93. Sleeve 86 is freely journaled in bore 93. The spacing of the axes of shaft 80 and bore 93 depends on the relative positioning of sleeves 86 and 90 on shaft 80. Once the desired angular position is determined, the tightening of screws 84 on shaft 80 securely fixes the position of sleeve 90 in bore 88, because the sleeve 90 is eccentrically disposed therein. The maximum throw of the end of crank arm 92. thus depends on the relative positioning of the two eccentrically bored sleeves 86 and 90.

The narrow end of crank arm 92 is pivotally attached via a universal pin 96 to a link 98. Link 98 is mounted parallel to a plate 99 on a sleeve 100. Sleeve 100 joins the link and plate to form a unitary rigid structure. Through the bore 102 in the joined plate, sleeve and link passes a shaft 103. A collar 105 and screw 101 hold the plate, sleeve and link assembly on this shaft. Shaft 103 is nonrotatably secured in a block 106 integrally formed with base plate 20. Shaft 80 passes through a bore in block 106 which is best shown in Fig. 5. The block is not visible in Fig. 1 since it is there concealed by a cover plate 21.

At the upper end of plate 99 is secured a plate 108 having an outwardly extending hook 110 formed on its upper end. Screws 111 removably attach plate 108 to plate 99. A link member 112 having a twisted body forming ends disposed at right angles to each other and constituting eyes 107 and 113, is pivotally connected to the lower end of plate 99 by a pin 114 extending through eye 107. A universal pin 115 is threaded in hole 116 of a plate 117 and secures this plate pivotally to link member 112. The pin has a ball portion seated in eye 113 at one end of link member 112. A vertically disposed shaft 118 is secured in the split end of plate 117. This shaft is journaled in an integral boss 119 projecting downwardly from a plate 120 and in an opening extending through one end of the plate 120. Plate 120 is secured to block 106 by means of screws 122 with washers 123. The upper end of shaft 118 is fixed to an arm 124. This arm has an outwardly extending finger 126 formed with a hook 128 at the end thereof. The hooks 110 and 128 are so disposed relative to each other and to the needles 26, 24 that they pass horizontally and relatively angularly through the vertical path traversed by needles 26 and 24 carrying thread T, as best shown in Fig. 8, the hook 128 passing through the space between the needles.

The machine operates to form a long loose chain stitch S as will now be described. As the hread carrying needle 24 passes through the work it casts out a loop of thread, which is taken by the loop spreading hook 110, moving in a vertical plane, and by the loop spreading hook 128 moving in a horizontal plane. Upon upward movement of the needle bar 28 hook needle 26 intersects and grasps the thread loop held by the loop spreaders 110 and 128 and carries the loop through the work. On subsequent downward movement of the needle bar, needle 24 passes through the loop held by needle 26. The loop is cast off the needle 26 as the same passes downward through the work and the above cycle is repeated to form subsequent stitches.

The movement of the hook 110 occurs as plate 99 pivots on shaft 103. This movement of the plate is caused by the pivoting of link 98 by crank 92. As plate 99 pivots on shaft 103, link 112 which is attached to the lower ends of the plates 99 and 117, causes plate 117 to be pivoted in a horizontal plane. As plate 117 pivots, shaft 118 causes arm 124 to move in a horizontal plane and hook 128 reciprocates in a horizontal arcuate path across the arcuate path of movement of hook 110.

In operating the eccentric mechanism, it should be noted that shaft 80 rotates continuously and sleeves 86 and 90 rotate with the shaft, but crank 92 only moves angularly reciprocating back and forth as the sleeve 86 rotates within sleeve 94.

The form of the chain stitches S is shown in Fig. 10. While superficially these appear to resemble conventional chain stitches, they are characterized by greater than usual length ranging up to an inch and their loops L are much looser than is usual in stitches of this type. Because the stitches S are so long and loose there is no substantial interference with the resiliency of the lining A or tie body B while the lining and tie body are securely attached together.

The adjustment of the eccentric sleeves 86 and 90 constitute a hook adjustment. By turning the sleeves within each other in the eccentric, the throw can be increased or decreased, and this in turn increases or decreases the traveling distance of the hooks.

The construction, shape and arrangement of the stretching plates 64 and 65 are such that these plates will at all times hold the lining in the center of the tie cloth no matter how wide the lining may be.

It will be noted that all the parts which move the hooks are spaced well away from the common area where the needles, hooks and feed dog travel. These actuating parts are located in the lower portion of the machine close to the base plate 20. In prior machines of this type, the actuating parts for the hooks were located so close to the feed dog that little room was left for its movement. As a result only small stitches could be sewn. In addition, the hooks had to be made very small and delicate and their actuating parts had to be miniaturized also. Such small and crowded structure limited the speed at which the machine could be operated quite severely, and breakage of the small delicate parts frequently occurred. In the present invention, the moving parts for the hooks are located where there is more room for them and this leaves more room for the moving hooks and feed dog. The feed dog can be made larger in size and more rugged, and the hooks and actuating parts can likewise be made larger and stronger. This new structure has resulted in increased production capability for the machine as well as lower maintenance costs and more trouble-free operation.

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application 643,446, filed March 1, 1957, now abandoned,

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent A thread looper mechanism for a sewing machine, comprising a rotatable drive shaft, means for rotating said shaft, a first cylindrical sleeve having an eccentric longitudinal bore, said shaft extending through said bore, a second cylindrical sleeve having an eccentric longitudinal bore, said first sleeve being longitudinally disposed in the bore of said second sleeve, said second sleeve having a flange portion extending beyond said first sleeve, screw means extending through said flange portion and immovably engaging said shaft with respect to the first and second sleeves, a crank arm having a free end and a terminal sleeve portion, said sleeve portion being mounted on said second sleeve and being angularly rotatable thereon, said free end of the crank arm passing through an arcuate path during rotation of said shaft, a link pivotally joined to said end of the crank arm, a first plate supported parallel to said link and pivotable therewith, another plate having a hooked end secured to one end of the first plate and reciprocatable thereby in a substantially vertical plane, a third plate linked to the other end of the first plate, a vertically disposed shaft secured at one end to said third plate, an arm secured at one end on the free end of said vertical shaft, and a hook secured to the free end of the latter arm and reciprocatable thereby in a horizontal plane, said hooks being disposed during movement thereof to engage loops of a thread carried by movable needles of said machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,822 Arnold Feb. 28, 1888 461,369 Pilling Oct. 13, 1891 703,812 Onderdonk July 1, 1902 961,207 Chatfield June 14, 1910 1,098,814 Maier June 2, 1914 1,110,814 North Sept. 15, 1914 1,123,739 Hemleb Jan. 5, 1915 1,568,397 Clayton Jan. 5, 1926 2,453,072 Johnson Nov. 2, 1948 2,592,237 Bradley Apr. 8, 1952 2,636,461 Mikolas Apr, 28, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 871,874 Germany Mar. 26, 1953 

